Field
The described technology generally relates to a rechargeable battery having an insulating member.
Description of the Related Technology
Rechargeable batteries differ from primary batteries in that they can be repeatedly charged and discharged, while the latter are incapable of being recharged.
Low-capacity rechargeable batteries are used in small portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, notebook computers, and camcorders, while high-capacity rechargeable batteries are used as the power source for driving a motor of hybrid or electric vehicles and the like.
A number of standard rechargeable battery technologies exist including nickel-cadmium (Ni—Cd) batteries, nickel-hydrogen (Ni—MH) batteries, lithium (Li) batteries, lithium ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries, etc. Lithium ion rechargeable batteries have an operating voltage that is about three times higher than that of Ni—Cd or Ni—MH batteries and consequently are widely used as the power supplies for a variety of electronic devices.
In addition, lithium ion rechargeable batteries are in wide use partially due to their high energy density per unit weight. In the standard rechargeable Li-ion battery, a lithium-based oxide can been used as a positive active material and a carbon material can been used as a negative active material.
Generally, batteries can be classified into liquid electrolyte batteries and polymer electrolyte batteries depending on the type of electrolyte employed. Lithium batteries which use a liquid electrolyte are called lithium ion batteries while batteries using a polymer electrolyte are called lithium polymer batteries.